Shirley Grande

Ms. Reyes

13 September 2015

Dwelling to America’s Skid Row

            "Skid Row is a 54-block area that has the largest homeless number of individuals in the country," said Jerry Jones, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless based in New York City."New York City has the largest homeless population, but Los Angeles has the highest unsheltered population in the country, which has led to the destitution you see today," he added. As much as we avoid this content and push it all the way back it will erupt. We set up unnecessary laws against people of our kind that legitimately need our help. Programs that have been long going seekers portray a well analysis to better a situation that we basically see all around us.

         As we gaze at an image of a homeless named John. The very first emotion lead towards that photo was sadness and loneliness. We must know better not to assume anything by just looking at the photo, when inexplicably it is more than just a photo. Thus given the question to write about a story was indeed a bit fiddly since we don’t know anything about him personally. Suddenly it all started to flow, describing the feeling of sadness and loneliness for the reason that at some point in our live we’ve faced those emotions, so it was best to collaborate and elaborate those distinct descriptions while looking at the photograph. As we began to watch a video about John our ideals changed since we got to hear his story, his personal experience. Many thoughts gushed threw my head, how can someone like John be without a home? For crying out loud he fought for this country and here he is, without a home to relax in.

            John’s story is insightful, inspiring and the only reason I thought it was frightening is because wretchedly it is the truth. He’s been through a number of tough times and to believe that there are people that see him as an “undesirable” person is erroneous. We need to gather more information and resolve issues that are unjust.

            “It’s important to note how this sort of criminalization follows in the footsteps of laws that have been on the books in past, with the primary goal of pushing ‘undesirables’ out of the public space,” Howard said. “Whether that’s Jim Crow, sundown laws, anti-Okie laws — these laws discriminate against only a certain type of people.” We cannot immediately presume or refer to the homeless as a drunk and or crazy person. Each and every one of us has a background, a story to tell in which describes our individuality. If we prompt the core of the problem by collaborating better resources for the homeless there will be new and improved outcomes but by banding homeless people from areas isn’t the way to resolve this affair.

            New York City's pledges "temporary emergency shelter to every man, woman, and child who is eligible for services, every night,”. The executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless Jone also mentioned that in Los Angeles, we have about 40,000 homeless people that are unsheltered. These high numbers indicate the basis of our issue. We ought to provide facilities that facilitate a well rounded foundation, one huge solution that has worked for many years. Ryan Navales the manager of government and public affairs for the Midnight Mission is a spot where they provide 3,000 meals daily to the homeless. Navales said he makes every effort to get people out of poverty, for the reason that he has experienced homelessness himself. We can’t avoid the dilemma any longer; we must take control of the matter by conducting welcoming institution to better the state of affair. Numbers will drop and it would benefit communities everywhere utilizing good information to the general public.

Kendel Mixon

Kendel Mixon 

Prof. Amanda  

English A  

16 September 2015 

Homelessness in California  

The homelessness in California has one of the greatest population percentages of all states. People all over the world including kids, families, and veterans suffer from a lack of shelter and even resort to sleeping outside or unfortunate designated areas. After digging deeper on why people are homeless or even asking for spare change has led me to having a change of heart before denying a person or even giving my last to help them in anyway I can, however speaking for most of society is impossible but reaching out to fortunate people and having them acknowledge the less fortunate can hopefully one day decrease homelessness. In the documentary " Stories from the streets" John a homeless veteran was interviewed and he expressed his life story and how he had became homeless. Throughout this heart whelming interview John talked about his older brother that had  served in the Vietnam War who sadly never returned home. After going through a tragedy John enlisted into the war feeling  as though he had lost himself when he lost his brother and he went out to find his own path in life not knowing that he will eventually one day end up with nowhere to go after serving his country for years. Throughout this interview I was amazed on how generous , intelligent , and kind he was only because the stereotype of a homeless person is characterized to be the opposite of generous. John was a Christian man who had faith despite of the circumstance he had been put in. Like John, there are millions of homeless people that’s not on drugs or even asking for change to feed their needs however they are people who had a downfall in life  and it was very hard to pick up the pieces which leaves them in the homeless percentage and nowhere to go at night.  over the weekend I was able to put my change of heart mentality into actions of actually acknowledging the less fortunate and helping before I became a critic to their needs. I met a young guy who hangs out constantly at my job asking for spare change and sometimes even haunting the customers. Before I looked at him as a distraction I digged a little deeper and became a helping hand to him. After giving him money I then wanted to have a conversation with him and get to know him. The young guy expressed to me how he unfortunately does drugs and even has a disorder however he needs the money because he has no job and need a income. After getting to know him and even knowing he may be using others money for drugs a sense of relief and clarity came over me. It didn’t matter what he used the money for as long as I can become a helping hand and a ear for listening I felt as though he and I learned a valuable lesson. Everyone you meet may need money for various reasons and may even need a conversation for comfort however everyone should  consider of digging deeper into the homelessness we see on a daily basis and how we can become a helping hand in our community.  

finish homeless article

Alejandro Ramirez

English A - 9328

Professor Amanda Reyes

September 16, 2015

You should never judge a book by its cover, but that's something we all do. We always see homeless people in the streets asking for money and the first thing that comes up on our mind is that he will use that money for drugs or alcohol. But in reality we don't really know what that money will be used for. There are millions of homeless people all over and most of them don't get help from anyone. Most of them being U.S citizens should be getting help from the government but most of them are not instead they are trying to get rid of them and kick them out of the place they are staying in the streets.

There’s is so many stories to be told and heard from so many homeless people to see how they got where they are now. Many of them probably lost their jobs, there family who knows only they do. There all not drug addicts or alcoholics. They probably got to those stages to forget about their old and better life and after that they lost control nut who knows only they do. But not all of them are drug addicts or alcoholics some of them just try to get enough money to eat and a good place to sleep but unfortunately that is sometimes impossible for them to get because they got nothing. They get no type of support from no one but them self.

In almost every city in the United States you will always find homeless people in the need of help but most of the time no one is willing to help them out. Most of them being U.S citizen they should be getting help from the government to see if they can get out of the streets. That would not  only being helping the homeless people but that would also be helping out the community by having less people out the streets and have a cleaner streets.

The government should build more shelter homes all over the states so it can really help out the homeless in a lot of way. With this it would help them get better meals to eat because if they were on the streets it would have been a high percentage that they wouldn’t have gotten a real meal and in the shelters they are granted to get one. It would also help them to sleep in a comfortable warm place rather than sleeping in a hard cold floor where they can hardly get any sleep from all the noise around them or people kicking them out from the place they are at. This has been happening in a lot of places but not all the homeless are being helped because there is only much that people can do or help them out.

Judging a book by its cover is not always the way you see it. By judging a person just by the looks of them never is not always what you expect. Like with homeless people you always see them in the streets asking for money but that money they might need it for food or to get them self some water or coffee. That money that sometime you contribute to them is not always going to be used for bad stuff. So next time you see a homeless put yourself in their shoes and see how you would feel when you need help and no one helps you out.

Underneath the homeless

At one point in time we have seen, heard or even had some type of contact with a homeless person.  Yet, we as humans have grown very ignorant towards these very unfortunate people we call homeless. We must that they're human beings just like us. No one has the right to judge others just because they don't have a home and food on a table. We must remember that homeless people are father's , brothers, cousins, and friends of someone just like you. Perhaps one of our own family members can be out there laying on the streets without any food or shelter. I'm sure that if we were to see one of our own family members we will help but what about the rest of the homeless.  What is underneath the other homeless?  Time after time we have seen them and judge them based on the assumption that they must be drug addicts or thieves.  The reality is that if we can see farther and deeper than our eyes can see, we might just find out the real story behind our brothers, cousins and friends that happen to be lost out there. So close but yet so far, very near enough to hear them but unable to listen. Why? Why can't we help them? How is it that when we come across  a strayed animal our hearts melt with emotions but yet for our own we feel nothing. Previously  I had the opportunity to interview a homeless veteran named John Albert Rogers . He is not homeless because of drug abuse or because of stealing.  He is homeless due to the aftermath of war and its post dramatic stress. Here we are living the American dream made possible by a homeless man called John.  Out there on the streets many of these heroes rest their swollen feet and lifeless soul on the riverbed, alleys and freeways. While we lay in a comfortable bed under a warm blanket and a roof over our heads, so next time it rains or next time freezing cold remember that a hero , a friend , a father a brother is sleeping on the streets not only bearing the cold and rainy weather but on top of that an empty stomach,  an empty soul an empty heart with a lonesome life. If we can only see underneath these homeless people, I'm sure that when we come across one of them we won't turn the other way or ignore them but rather show them kindness and a sense of recognition. A warming thought that may mean little to us but the world to them.

Sergio Zepeda

                                                                                                                                                      English A

                                                          Homeless stereotypes 

Stereotypes play a huge role when it comes to homeless people. Just from the knowledge that the media and everyone has taught us about homeless people well determine whether I decide to give a homeless money are not. There are an estimate 82,000 homeless people in the L.A County right now and not all of them have a different story. I us to think all most every homeless person was an addict. Slowly that perspective of homeless people start to change one of the reasons was like the video we saw in class. There are a lot of people that have these bad images of homeless people that they are judging them with out getting to know them. Most of them are war veterans that have mental issues. 

In many cases homeless people feel left out by the rest of society. When was the last time you had a conversation with a homeless person? When was the last time you told a homeless person have a good day? Most of you would answer never. Now how many of you have ignored a homeless person when they ask you for some spear change? How many of you do not even say “O sorry I do not have know” or do u just keep on walking and pretend there not there. Homeless people are humans too and each one of them has a unique story behind them.       

In the case of veteran named John I saw a video about him he was kind and caring. He would walk the there way to not disrupted the persons walking in the side walk. He also did not like to make to much noise because the people that lived in front were nice. Also that just saying a good morning or have a nice day would make his day. He wants to interact with people feel like he is something in the world. He got really sentimental when he started to talk about his older brother his eyes started to get watery. He said that his brother was an ideal to him. He died in the war and when they told him that his brother died he just collapsed the veteran said it was the saddest day of his life. There are more people like him out there we just do not give them a chance to us there stories. 

There for we do not need to judge someone by the stereotypes we have of them. Next time you see a homeless person stop and talk to them because you never know what a few simple words could do to a homeless person. It could make his day and you could learn something new from other person. I think as we move on we are going to stop listening to stereotypes and finding no the truth but the reality of things in life and maybe that could change the opinion of most people in the world.            

No roof. No food

Dianna Huerta

English A

09/14/2015

No roof. No food.

Los Angeles has the highest homeless population. According to “The 2014 Annual Homeless Assessment Report 578,424 were homeless on a given night, which was an increase of 69 percent. We see them in the streets, underneath freeways etc. Homelessness has no ethnic background or age. Homelessness can include men, women and children. The racial backgrounds consist of 13 percent Hispanics, 39 percent Whites and 42 percent are African American. We may at one point be at risk of becoming homeless.

It’s always easy to pretend like we don't see them. If they speak to us, we pretend as if we don’t hear them. Not all homeless people are bad news. We have a tendency to judge them based on their appearance. We see them as lazy, dirty people. We see them as criminals and drug addicts. Many times we create negative stereotypes of people in this case homeless people, because society makes us believe that in order to be successful we have to work hard regardless of the circumstances. Without taking into consideration some of the hardship people encounter in their lives. We think that because we work hard in order to be successful they should be doing the same, instead of asking for money.  However, a homeless person at one point might have had a career but could have lost it for various reasons.  These stereotypes we create affect our everyday life such as when we go shopping.  Many times when we are out shopping we see homeless people but prefer not to go into a particular establishment because we might be scared of them attacking us or simply do not want to deal with them “bothering” us asking for money.

When you see a homeless person, we do not know what their story is or why they are living in the streets. It can be a runaway teen, coming from an abusive home. Many facts could be named as to why they become homeless. Many people go homeless because they lose their jobs. This means no roof over their head and no food to eat. Many are asking for money to buy food yet were a bit hesitant to help out because we think they might use it for drugs and alcohol.  Another one might be because of a mental disability such as a veteran coming home from war.  

Some are nice like John, a war veteran, a father and a loving person. He didn’t come from a wealthy family. He had a brother who he loved a lot. John’s brother lost his life in the line of duty. John joined the military because of his brother. His been in the VA hospital because he hears noises due to the war. John has consideration for the people where he sleeps on the sidewalk yet there are others that have a bad attitude, no respect and bad manners. 

John proves that not all homeless people are bad. This proves how we can stereotype the homeless. We should feel lucky to have a roof over our head and food in our table because there are people that are less fortunate.

The very first thought that popped into my head when I saw John’s photo is sadness and loneliness. I know better not to assume anything by looking at the photograph when inexplicably it is more than just a picture. So indeed it was tricky for me to write a story without having more information given that we were just basing it off of a photo. I suddenly went with the flow and started describing the feeling of sadness and loneliness because at some point in my life I’ve felt those emotions so it was best to collaborate and elaborate those distinct descriptions while looking at the photograph. However once that video played I had a whole lot of respect for the man, many thoughts gush to my head. How can someone like John be without a home and for crying out loud he fought for this country and there he is without a home to relax in? John’s story was insightful, inspiring and the only reason I thought it was frightening is because sadly it is the truth. He’s been through a number of tough times and to believe that there are people that see him as an “undesirable” person is erroneous. We need to gather more information and resolve issues that aren’t unjust. “It’s important to note how this sort of criminalization follows in the footsteps of laws that have been on the books in past, with the primary goal of pushing ‘undesirables’ out of the public space,” Howard said. “Whether that’s Jim Crow, sundown laws, anti-Okie laws — these laws discriminate against only a certain type of people.” We cannot immediately presume or refer to them as a drunk and or crazy person. In my opinion I completely agree each and every one of us have a background story, in which describes our individuality. If we prompt the core of the problem by collaborating better resources for the homeless there will be new and improved outcomes but by banding homeless people from areas isn’t the way to resolve this affair.